June 2021 PMID 34170031

Single-Stage Prediction Models Do Not Explain the Magnitude of Syntactic Disambiguation Difficulty.

Marten van Schijndel, Tal Linzen

Mentions

14
Peak: 12 in Jun 2021
across 2 sources since Aug 2020

Extended reach

53,766
potential audience

Total likes

89

Video views

215

Mentions per month

Aug 2020 – Sep 2023

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter13 posts
  • YouTube1 videos

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions highlight the article's core insight that surprisal-based models underestimate the difficulty of syntactic disambiguation, with comments emphasizing the use of advanced models like RNNs and the need for mechanisms like reanalysis. Words like 'severely underestimate' and phrases such as 'new article' and 'final version' underscore their engagement and acknowledgment of the research's importance.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions acknowledge the article's findings, like the underestimation of garden-path effects by surprisal models, indicating general agreement with the publication's conclusions.

InterestHigh interest

The posts show a high level of curiosity and appreciation for the research, referencing specific methods and implications, which suggests strong interest.

EngagementModerate engagement

Some comments delve into technical details, such as the use of RNN language models and the linking hypothesis, reflecting thoughtful engagement.

ImpactModerate impact

Participants recognize the significance of the findings, especially the need for more complex mechanisms beyond single-stage models, indicating a moderate impact perception.

Abstract in brief

  • The article discusses how single-stage prediction models, which rely on surprisal (or predictability), can explain some aspects of syntactic disambiguation but fail to account for the full difficulty involved, especially in garden-path sentences.
  • While surprisal models can predict the presence of garden-path effects, they tend to underestimate how severe these effects are and do not effectively predict differences across various sentence structures.
  • The authors suggest that solving syntactic disambiguation problems might need more complex mechanisms, such as reanalysis processes, beyond just considering word predictability.

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Marten van Schijndel
@marty_with_an_e · X

New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show that these peaks severely underestimate the magnitude of the effects. Suggests other repair mechanisms are used when processing garden paths. https://t.co/JTt95otxP5

Jun 25, 2021 · 44 likes · 7 shares · 759 followers View post →
Tal Linzen
@tallinzen · X

Great to see the final version of this work led by @marty_with_an_e! We used RNN language models to test the hypothesis that the difficulty that people experience when reading garden-path sentences can be explained as a simple word predictability effect. https://t.co/2R0yCHwbzD

Jun 25, 2021 · 37 likes · 3 shares · 18,200 followers View post →
Marten van Schijndel
@marty_with_an_e · X

@tmalsburg @mariemarm (Just because I'm riding the high of actually getting this published) @tallinzen and I explore the linking hypothesis between surprisal and reading times in our new paper. Section 2.5 is almost exactly what you ask for!

Jun 25, 2021 · 4 likes · 1 share · 759 followers View post →
Ted Gibson, Language Lab MIT
@LanguageMIT · X

RT @marty_with_an_e: New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show tha…

Jun 25, 2021 · 7 shares · 12,349 followers View post →
PsyArXiv-bot
@PsyArXivBot · X

Single-stage prediction models do not explain the magnitude of syntactic disambiguation difficulty https://t.co/dYRVdWPRzK

Aug 27, 2020 · 7,270 followers View post →
Dr. Christina Bergmann - Skies are blue...
@chbergma · X

RT @marty_with_an_e: New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show tha…

Jun 26, 2021 · 7 shares · 4,696 followers View post →

All mentions

The Role of Surprisal in Reading Times

This video explores how syntactic surprisal influences reading times by examining studies that reveal the cognitive processing involved. We delve into works that show how anticipatory effects shape our understanding of…

Bright · Sep 13, 2023 215 views
Mao Ruihua, Mauri 毛睿华
@Bhg51631711 · X

RT @marty_with_an_e: New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show tha…

Jun 29, 2021 · 7 shares · 101 followers View post →
Akira Murakami
@mrkm_a · X

RT @tallinzen: Great to see the final version of this work led by @marty_with_an_e! We used RNN language models to test the hypothesis that…

Jun 27, 2021 · 3 shares · 2,709 followers View post →
T. Florian Jaeger
@_hlplab_ · X

RT @tallinzen: Great to see the final version of this work led by @marty_with_an_e! We used RNN language models to test the hypothesis that…

Jun 26, 2021 · 3 shares · 751 followers View post →
Ruixiang Cui
@ruixiangcui · X

RT @marty_with_an_e: New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show tha…

Jun 26, 2021 · 7 shares · 316 followers View post →
Dr. Christina Bergmann - Skies are blue...
@chbergma · X

RT @marty_with_an_e: New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show tha…

Jun 26, 2021 · 7 shares · 4,696 followers View post →
Ted Gibson, Language Lab MIT
@LanguageMIT · X

RT @marty_with_an_e: New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show tha…

Jun 25, 2021 · 7 shares · 12,349 followers View post →
Cory Shain
@coryshain · X

RT @marty_with_an_e: New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show tha…

Jun 25, 2021 · 7 shares · 2,067 followers View post →
Aaron Mueller
@amuuueller · X

RT @marty_with_an_e: New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show tha…

Jun 25, 2021 · 7 shares · 1,843 followers View post →
Marten van Schijndel
@marty_with_an_e · X

@tmalsburg @mariemarm (Just because I'm riding the high of actually getting this published) @tallinzen and I explore the linking hypothesis between surprisal and reading times in our new paper. Section 2.5 is almost exactly what you ask for!

Jun 25, 2021 · 4 likes · 1 share · 759 followers View post →
Tiago Pimentel
@tpimentelms · X

RT @tallinzen: Great to see the final version of this work led by @marty_with_an_e! We used RNN language models to test the hypothesis that…

Jun 25, 2021 · 3 shares · 1,608 followers View post →
Marten van Schijndel
@marty_with_an_e · X

New article in Cognitive Science (w/ @tallinzen)! Peaks in surprisal predict garden paths in reading, but we show that these peaks severely underestimate the magnitude of the effects. Suggests other repair mechanisms are used when processing garden paths. https://t.co/JTt95otxP5

Jun 25, 2021 · 44 likes · 7 shares · 759 followers View post →
Tal Linzen
@tallinzen · X

Great to see the final version of this work led by @marty_with_an_e! We used RNN language models to test the hypothesis that the difficulty that people experience when reading garden-path sentences can be explained as a simple word predictability effect. https://t.co/2R0yCHwbzD

Jun 25, 2021 · 37 likes · 3 shares · 18,200 followers View post →
PsyArXiv-bot
@PsyArXivBot · X

Single-stage prediction models do not explain the magnitude of syntactic disambiguation difficulty https://t.co/dYRVdWPRzK

Aug 27, 2020 · 7,270 followers View post →